Along Came a Kitsune
by darkmousey
Summary: The jewel is complete and Kagome is back in the modern era, waiting for her beloved Inuyasha to return to her. Kurama is looking for a girlfriend to get his mother off his back but he and Youko can't agree. Then along came a kitsune... On hiatus/up for adoption
1. Chapter 1

Title: Along Came A Kitsune

Summary: The jewel is complete and Kagome is back in the modern era. Kurama is looking for a girlfriend but he and Youko can't agree. Then along came a kitsune…

Chapter One: Dreaming of You

Blood.

There was so much blood.

It coated everything so heavily with its putrid odor and slimy feel that it took all her best efforts to keep from spilling the contents of her stomach. But she steadily made her way through the blood-soaked clearing and around various body parts.

She had made it halfway to her destination before she couldn't take it any more. She collapsed onto her hands and knees and heaved. The bile spilled to the ground. Slowly, and a little more weak, she looked up and examined the grounds of the previous battle.

Farther away and to her left, she saw Miroku struggling to rise. His robes hung in tatters around his body and his hair had come unbound. Even from her distance, she could see the red crusting his hair as it did hers, drops of the crimson substance plunking to the ground around her.

Sango had managed to get to her feet, but she was hunched over in pain and clutched at her stomach, where she could see one end of a bloody gash. Kirara limped at her side as they made their way over to the handsome monk. She hoped that his curse had been lifted now and that Miroku and Sango could live together as husband and wife and have lots and lots of kids. They deserved that and so much more.

Kagome tore her eyes away from her friends to continue on. She had stayed back during the final battle with Naraku. She knew she was no good at close-range fighting and would only get in the way during the fight, endangering everyone. And she wasn't thinking about only her friends. If they failed, she knew that no one else would have the power to defeat the evil hanyou. So instead shot her purifying arrows wherever they were needed.

And so, while Sango fought her brother and Miroku fought Kanna, Sesshoumaru (who she was surprised showed up) battled Kagura (who flew away on her feather with glee the second Naraku was losing for good). That left Inuyasha with Naraku.

It had all seemed too unreal to her and she could barely remember what had happened. But then, she remembered seeing a light coming from the direction of the two hanyous. It expanded in a blinding white light and threw her back, knocking her out for a short time. Shippou, who had been with her to protect her from any enemies that endangered her using his Fox Fire, told her it had only been a few minutes. But in that short time, she had found that all of Naraku's followers had been massacred. She had almost thought Inuyasha had turned youkai, but instantly dismissed the idea when her miko senses clearly told her that this was not the work of a youkai.

And so she had gotten up and began to make her way to Inuyasha.

Now that she was there, she realized that he had suffered the brunt of the white force. It wasn't like he was cut up too badly or anything. Being a hanyou, he would be able to heal within a week or two.

But there was a problem.

His hair was black.

And she was certain that, if his eyes were open, they would be violet.

She then realized what that light had been. He had used all of his youki to defeat Naraku and in consequence, he had turned human. He would never survive these injuries.

She fell to her knees and began to cry. After all this time…She had gotten to know him, then grew to love him so dearly…Everything in her life seemed to revolve around him…And now she was going to lose him. Forever. Memories flashed in her mind, coming and leaving before she could fully remember the events. That is, until she remembered a day not so long ago…In fact it had been the day before.

Inuyasha had told her that he loved her. He loved her for her, not Kikyou.

But then, Naraku had come.

Suddenly, she heard something: coughing. She looked around herself and saw Inuyasha with his eyes open. Blood trailed from his mouth. "K-Kagome?"

"Inuyasha…" Tears dropped like rain from her watery eyes.

"Stop crying, wench." He smirked weakly. "You know I hate it when you do that."

She nodded and tried to stop the tears.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Inuyasha," she replied hopefully.

"Will you…will you put my head in your lap?"

She was a little surprised but immediately complied. Soon, his head was comfortably in the requested position and she sat there, clearing matted hair and blood from his beautiful face. Something similar had happened before, the first time she had seen him as a human. It was then that he had unconsciously complimented her scent. He said it was calming to him, that it comforted him. That was how she knew he was afraid of dying.

He didn't speak any more, but she knew he wasn't dead either, so she began to talk to him. After a few minutes, she began to speak to him about the jewel. "The jewel is complete now, Inuyasha, and Naraku is dead. You can become a youkai now, and we can live together and have children and be happy together. And—"

"No, Kagome. We can't." She was going to protest but was cut off by a coughing fit from Inuyasha. More blood passed through his lips. "What's the point if I'll just go mad? And besides, I couldn't stand the thought of you growing old while I don't age. I don't want to lose you like that."

"…Inu…"

"Kagome, use the jewel and make a pure wish. Then I want you to go home and be happy. You're strong, I know that. That's why I love you so much. No matter what, you can always make it though tough situations."

"I won't be able to forget you, Inuyasha. How can I move on when I'm still in love with you?" she cried.

He looked her in the eyes for a moment before speaking softly, "I'm not asking for you to forget about me, Kagome. But I don't want you to suffer because of me either." He reached out a hand and caressed her cheek and she put her hand over his. "Take Tetsusaiga."

"But—"

"It's my gift to you Kagome," he insisted.

She nodded, tears trailing down her cheeks again. "Then I accept it."

"Good." Another fit overtook him. They both knew he didn't have much longer to live. "Kagome," he said weakly, "I will find you again someday, Kagome. I love you."

"And I love you, Inu." Not a minute after she said this, Inuyasha drew his last breath.

Kagome's heartbroken scream cut through the land.

Kagome woke with a start and looked over to her clock to see the device flashing 5:38 in neon red.

She sighed. It wouldn't be worth the effort to try to get back to sleep. Her alarm would go off at six anyways. She rubbed the tears from her face with her blanket as she remembered what had happened after his death.

Sesshoumaru had offered to bring Inuyasha back to life, not out of brotherly love or anything, but out of gratitude for the group saving his lands from Naraku's taint. But she had refused. Besides, Tenseiga refused to work. Without a word, he had left them.

The trek back to Kaede's village was hard enough with all of them being injured, but it was exceptionally more difficult with a dead body to lug back. Kagome had refused to burn his body along with everything else and so Miroku had slapped an ofuda on Inuyasha to keep his deceased body from decomposing before reaching their destination. When they arrived there, they held a small funeral and buried Inuyasha under his favorite branch of the God Tree.

Kagome had stayed in the Sengoku Jidai for a couple months after everyone's wounds healed, but finally she couldn't take it any more. Seeing Miroku and Sango married and so happy with each other brought such sadness to her that her friends began to worry. It had been so difficult to explain to Shippou that she had to leave him…

The day before she left, she did one last thing: She made a wish upon the Shikon no Tama.

"I wish for there to be a way for youkai and ningen to live in peace."

She hadn't stayed long enough to see the results though. The next day, she had left with Sango and Miroku promising to take care of Shippou.

And now, in her time, she had completed her schooling two years early (thanks to the fact that her mother had enrolled her in home schooling after the first year of shard hunting and the fact that she did her best to keep from remembering everything by staying busy) and had earned a teaching degree. She now worked as a mythology teacher at the local university and took care of the shrine she would take over upon her grandfather's death.

But despite everything that had happened to her, Inuyasha's last words continued to ring clear in her mind.

"I will find you again someday, Kagome. I love you."

* * *

AN: Well, everyone, what do ya think? I know a lot of you are probably wondering why I haven't updated Red Flowers. The answer is, I just didn't feel that inspired to write the next chapter for that. I'll probably update it in a week or two.

By the way, I have absolutely no idea what the main plot in this is gonna be ("main plot" meaning if there's gonna be a villain or anything like that). So if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to speak out! Um…next chapter may or may not be very long depending on whether I figure out a plot. That's probably gonna be in chapter three though…

Anyways, as usual, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Along Came a Kitsune

'**Youko Talking' (telepathy)**

**Kurama talking (telepathy)**

'_Hiei Talking' (telepathy)_

(Just to let you know, these may change)

Chapter Two: Kurama's Girl Troubles

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The red-haired bishounen groaned in his half-asleep state.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

A single arm slid out from the comfort of his bedding and his hand proceeded to grope at his nightstand-

_Beep! Beep! Bee-!_

-before he finally managed to find the snooze button to allow for a few extra minutes of sleep. Alas, he was not able to achieve this as his cell phone went off into an annoyingly joyous bout of ringing that definitely did not suit his usual morning mood.

Kurama flipped open the device and put it to his ear while trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Youko had kept him up almost all night. Normally, this was done with the not-so innocent images from his past having to do with a bed. But last night, something had felt "off" as Youko had put it before not saying another word. This had left his human self wondering what could have made Youko worry.

And so when he answered his phone, he was expecting to hear Boton's cheerful voice, or even Koenma's childish whining.

"Hello?"

Instead, he was met with the frustrated voice of his boss, Meia. "Minamino, you had better be on time today! We have an important deal to seal and you have to be there! And if you're not there on time, that'll make me – and the entire company – look bad! I don't care if you have the plague! I expect to see your butt down here in forty-five minutes, tops!" Then she hung up, leaving Kurama a little dazed. He still wasn't quite awake yet: it was only seven thirty in the morning.

'**Damn, that woman is loud!' **Youko said indignantly. **'No one should speak to the single greatest thief in all of Makai like that!'**

**I hate to break it to you Youko, **Kurama sighed in his mind as he began to get ready for work, **she's human and could probably care less what your profession was before, so long as she gets her money.**

'**I still believed she should be punished for her insolence.'** As he said this, he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted childishly. Kurama didn't feel like getting another of Youko's speeches so he decided to not comment on this.

**Just give it up Youko.**

'**It's just my luck having to live inside such a stiff. You can't even get a girlfriend.'**

Kurama grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower. **You do know that this is partly your fault, correct?**

Youko huffed. **'It wasn't my idea to correct it.'**

Kurama sighed as he remembered how this had gotten started.

. : Flashback : .

After graduating from high school he had lived with continued to live with his mother for another year while searching for a good job and housing. True, he didn't really need a job since Koenma paid the detectives for their services, but he preferred to have something to do while the cases were slow. His only problem was that youkai never popped out of Makai and caused trouble to anyone's convenience, so he had needed a flexible job, meaning he wouldn't be able to be a doctor or lawyer like his mother had wanted. What he ended up with was one of the things for which Youko Kurama was renowned as the greatest thief. He worked for Meia appraising the authenticity of various artifacts. He was often called upon for divorces and business deals as well as the occasional bankrupt customers. But that isn't the point.

After he moved into his home in the more rural part of the suburbs (in other words, within walking distance of the forest), he continued to visit his mother for a couple days a week once a month because she still wasn't as healthy as he would have liked.

During one such particular visit, he noticed his mother was a little nervous. Actually, Youko had told him that she had been a little nervous around him ever since he had moved out, he just hadn't really noticed it until then. Naturally concerned, he asked her what was the matter, afraid that something was once again wrong with her health. When he heard what she was worried about, he almost wished she was dying again.

"Shuichi, I think we need to talk." He nodded and sat down in his favorite chair while she sat across from him on the couch. She didn't speak again for several moments. Just as Kurama was about to speak again, she sighed. "Shuichi, dear, I want you to know that whatever lifestyle you lead, you are still my son and I love you."

Kurama's mind froze. Was she upset that he had not opted to go further into education and become a doctor or lawyer—or both—like she had dreamed of her son doing? "Mother, I don't understand-"

She went on as if he hadn't spoken. "I suppose it's partly my fault. I mean, I had no idea how to raise a boy, and your father passed away when you were so young. I don't know how I didn't realize it sooner. I mean, your good looks, the way you dress, the flowers, your kitchen skills, and good taste in just about everything. And that boy that always hung around the house…I believe his name was Hiei."

'Please don't let her say what I think she's going to say…'

"I guess all I'm saying is, I love you, but will you at least formally introduce me to your boyfriend?"

He had sat there, frozen, speechless for once. What was he supposed to say? _"Mother, I'm not gay, but the centuries-old kitsune that has been inside me since before birth doesn't think that any of the girls in or out of my fan club are beautiful enough to even be considered worthy of him and if there was, she probably wouldn't be able to stand his ego."_ No, that definitely wouldn't work. Finally, he managed to mumble out with only a little less grace than usual, "Mother, I'm not gay, and Hiei is not my boyfriend, he is a…coworker, and friend. When I find a girl I like, I assure you, you will be the first to know."

She had seemed satisfied with that answer, but he still had to endure an uncomfortably silent dinner and when he had left the next day, after the door closed, he practically ran away. Since then, every time he went to visit without bringing female company (Boton had come with him once after being told by Koenma to inspect something in that area) she had that same look in her eyes.

When he had told Hiei of his situation, he had been half-amused, half ready to kill his mother. Hiei had to be restrained after Yusuke and Kuwabara had gotten word. Yukina had to be brought to Reikai because all four detectives were needed for a mission.

. : End Flashback : .

Kurama sighed again. It wouldn't be so difficult to please his mother if he didn't have such a picky kitsune spirit within him. Some kitsune would take anything with a body. But Youko had to have his "lovers," as the kitsune called them, absolutely perfect, the foremost priority being beauty—and it didn't matter what gender they were, which was why Youko didn't mind he and Hiei being a couple. His human side, however, was adamant in his desire for a female.

The main problem was, even if a woman managed to pass the test, Youko could always find something wrong. The list was endless: too giggly, too serious, never seemed to blink, wouldn't look him in the eye, only seemed able to talk about one subject (said subject mostly being Kurama), were too introverted, and the list went on. Then of course, over half of the girls somehow managed to get his picture from his high school days and he berated himself every time for being fooled into dating one of his stalkers.

A shiver went down his spine at the thought. Years ago, one—maybe more—of his stalkers had followed him home and had snapped a few pictures of him while he was undressing in his room. They had been sold on E-bay. When he found out, he reported the seller.

He climbed onto the bus. He only had to go into work once or twice a week because most of his customers were private and only deals and whatnot were handled at the main building. Today, the bus was almost full except for one seat by a young woman in a knee-length skirt and a shirt suitable for the autumn. She carried a messenger bag, which sat in the empty seat, and almost appeared to be asleep with her head leaning back against the window.

He lightly tapped her shoulder. She jumped suddenly and a couple strands of raven hair escaped her ponytail. "Excuse me, miss," he said calmly, "is this seat taken?" Inwardly, Youko was twitching with excitement. The woman's ruffled appearance made her look cute and when his counterpart had tapped her shoulder he felt a spark of power.

"Hmm?" She looked him up and down, first in confusion, then alarm, and finally nodded. "Um…no, it's not. Here, let me move my bag."

She did and he sat. He waited for a few minutes and nothing happened. So far, so good. A couple girls by this time had tried to feel him out by this time in the past.

'**Talk to her!'**

He did and for the rest of the ride, they made small talk, talking without really saying anything about themselves. Finally, it was time for Kurama to get off. He stood up, then, as a passing thought, he turned to her and held out his hand. "I'm Kurama, by the way."

She took his hand. "I'm not interested."

'**Touché. I like her.'**

Kurama got off the bus, a little shocked she had refused him. **She didn't give us her name, though. She probably already has a boyfriend.**

'**Then we'll just have to take her from him.'**

**Are you sure, Youko?**

'**Have I ever been wrong?'**

Kurama sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. Someday, he wanted Youko to be wrong, just once. But he couldn't deny the fact that he, too, desired the girl.

With one final look to where the bus had been, he continued to walk down the street to his building. It was going to be another long day.

* * *

AN: Yay! My longest chapter ever! –happy dance- Wow, I was really surprised I got that many reviews! Anywho, thank you to everyone who reviewed and added me to your author alert/fav authors!

Oh, and sorry in advance to anyone that wanted a plot next chapter! I didn't expect this chapter to end up being so long, so I'm gonna switch back to Kagome in the next chapter, then go back to Kurama in the fourth chapter. That's when things are gonna pick up. It's also after that chapter that I probably won't update because I'm not sure how to continue. But, things may change by then. –shrug-

If anyone has questions about age, check out my response to KagomeYasha448. And a lot of you have asked about the kitsune, and the answer is…I have decided not to tell you. Yet. Or maybe I will keep it a secret till the very last chapter…and many of you know I can get lazy…muahaha!

Responses:

SilentDark: I think I am gonna have an evil force or whatever, but I'm not gonna make things easy for Kurama to get Kagome either. We'll just see how things turn out. Beyond the fourth chapter, I have no idea what will happen.

KagomeYasha4448: Yeah, forgot to do the age thing. Well, I'm having it so that Kagome finished the jewel quest around age 17-18. After that, she finished high school in the following year, then moved on to get a teaching degree, and has been teaching for a year or two now, since I don't know how long it takes to get a teaching degree, I guess she could be anywhere from 22-25 while this fic is going on. I'm having Kurama being probably a year or so older than her, so he could be anywhere from 23-26. I hope that helps


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Wow. Before I begin this chapter, let me just say, I never expected ACAK to be popular enough to average about 20 reviews per chapter (total is 39 right now). I'm glad everyone likes it. You guys make me feel so happy!

Along Came A Kitsune

Chapter Three: Frozen Memories

Kagome heaved a sigh as she opened the door to the closet she used as her private office. It was conveniently located behind her teaching desk and would probably be the last place at the university in which she worked that was used for storage because it was so far away from everything else. She was thankful that she wouldn't have to worry about that for a good long while because it was the only place she could escape to for half her day.

As was mentioned before, it was a very small area: only enough room for the filing cabinet she used as a table and the cushioned chair by the cabinet.

But she wouldn't have minded if these comforts had been missing. The only things in the room that mattered in the least to her was the pictures she had littered all over the walls and placed onto the permanent shelve that covered the walls on three-fourths of the closet's sides.

Her throat began to hurt from her bottled emotions the longer she gazed at the photographs. She had taken them during her time in Sengoku Jidai. They were of her friends…and some enemies, though those had been taken from a distance.

She remembered how well Shippou and Rin had taken to the camera. They had both begged and begged to be photographed over and over again until, altogether they were the ones that had been featured the most on her film. Sango and Miroku had been suspicious of the device at first before relaxing and actually enjoying its ability to "freeze time." That was how Miroku had put it. She gazed longingly at a picture she had taken of the couple while they weren't looking, flash off of course. Kagome couldn't help but wonder what their children had been like…and if she might know any of their descendents. She covered her giggle with a hand as she imagined chibi forms of the two. Kaede had had the same attitude about the camera. A few pictures of Kouga and his pack, including one that Shippou had taken without Kagome's knowing of Kouga declaring her to be his woman, were scattered with everyone else on that wall.

Kagome looked to another wall. She had labeled this as the "Wall of Adversaries." Somehow, she had gotten a picture or two of Naraku and his group. Kikyou, after deciding that it wouldn't be a very good idea to kill anyone in the group trying to kill Naraku, had joined with them. She and Kagome had a teacher-student relationship going until Kikyou's re-death. The photographs of the priestess were few, but Kagome treasured them. At Rin's urging, Sesshoumaru had consented to let her take a few pictures of him, as well as Jaken and Ah-Un. Beside these hung photos of Sesshoumaru as he appeared in modern days.

She knew she shouldn't have been surprised when he made contact with her just a couple years ago because Kaede had taught her long ago that demons could live for thousands of years before ever reaching their prime. That meant that Sesshoumaru had still been just a pup back in Sengoku Jidai. It was hard for her to imagine sometimes that he had become so much more powerful through the centuries. Now, not only had his power increased, but he had also become a business tycoon and competed with Bill Gates for the title of the world's richest man. He had assured her before that all he really had to do was wait for the man to die, but preferred to be honorable and beat him fair and square.

She sighed. Although Sesshoumaru was the only one she knew had, for a fact, survived the centuries, he wasn't the closest of friends. True, there was mutual respect, but he was still almost as cold as ever and she only saw him once a month or so because of their schedules. However, she knew that she could turn to the taiyoukai if she needed help – especially if it were financial.

The longest and most cluttered wall was the one she faced right as she walked through the door. The person most dear to her heart was remembered so clearly, as all of his expressions could be seen. Kagome didn't want to forget one line on his face or the shade of gold that was his eyes. It was all so precious to her. He was precious to her. Her Inuyasha. He had promised to come back, to return to her, and she believed this with her whole heart. Though…at some times…she couldn't help but feel lonely and wonder if he really would come back. Perhaps, had she been in one of those moods, she would have given her name to that handsome man on the bus.

Before she could contemplate the matter further, a student knocked on her door, and she realized she was five minutes late to teach class. It made her feel special in a small way that her students found her class interesting enough to get her when she dazed off. She collected herself and returned to the classroom with an apology. She then turned on the overhead for her students to copy notes as she introduced the lesson.

"Today you will be learning about Toutousai and the swords he forged for Inuyasha and his older brother Sesshoumaru, taiyoukai of the Western lands." The class listened raptly while she gave her lecture. Fifteen minutes before the bell rang, Kagome stopped her sermon of the elderly youkai. "So, with that all having been said, who would like to be Toutousai for the remaining part of the year?"

Every year since she had been a teaching assistant, the last few weeks of the term was dedicated to the legend of the Shikon no Tama. She would give a general lesson, then the following days, she would go exploit by exploit of what she and her friends had done in the past. Every person in the class would get a role to play, ranging from Inuyasha to Nobunaga (depending on how many people were taking the class). They were expected to research their characters (and the companions of their character) and at the end of the year, they would give a presentation and essay on their character. And as soon as they picked out a character, they were given a script so that everything could be played out and taped and they watched it the last week of school. Everyone always enjoyed it. Behind her were pictures of the actors from the last three years. They were in columns, the topmost being the "original actors," her friends from Sengoku Jidai (whom, she had told the class, had done this for a community play, and that's why they were dressed so convincingly), then the first year, and so on. She was looking forward to getting another row of happy faces on her wall.

A few hands were raised. She chose one of the class comedians for the old man. She knew he would bring life into the part.

"Okay then, Toutousai, here's your script!" she said with a bright smile. "For the remaining time, feel free to talk among yourselves—not too loud, mind you—or ask me questions. And Miroku, please don't try to 'get into character' again. We don't need you going to the nurse for the third time."

There were a few giggles while "Sango" glared at "Miroku." Kagome sighed as the class returned to the gentle hum of voices. It was just another day.

LATER THAT DAY

Kagome put a few papers she needed to grade into a bag as the last of her students filed out. She wanted to leave a little early because her mother had invited her to dinner, which was better than eating alone at the apartment she used during the weekdays. Before that, though, Mrs. Higurashi had also given her a ring she had found at a thrift store and she wanted her daughter to take it somewhere to see how much it cost. The idea was that, if it was worth something, she would sell it and they would be able to use the money for the shrine and donate some to get a tax write-off; if it wasn't worth a bone, at least it was pretty, and no harm done.

She ran to catch the bus in time and clambered on. There was a place she knew of just a few blocks from the school, and the ride seemed too short to rest her tired feet. When the bus stopped, she walked a few buildings from the bus stop before she came to a building where, in classy lettering, were the words, "Rumiko Law and Appraisal."

"Well, looks like I have the right place." She walked in and went straight to the secretary, who was flipping the pages of some magazine. "Um, excuse me, I came here to see if there's anyone that might be able to find out how much this ring might cost…"

"Name?" She was relieved to find this wasn't one of those secretaries that act like they owned the world.

"Kagome Higurashi."

"Okay, Miss Higurashi, if you go through those doors over there and wait a few minutes, I'll see if one of our appraisers is free."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you."

The doors ended up leading to a room that looked like most waiting rooms she'd been in…just larger. _And with better furniture_, she thought as she sunk into a cushy sofa facing the television, which was playing a news station.

She sat there long enough to check her watch a couple times before she heard the door handle move.

"Kagome? Are you Kagome Higurashi?" said a man behind her. He had a pleasant voice, and was even more pleasant to look at, she realized as she turned to face him. He seemed perfect, from his crimson hair to his evergreen eyes. In fact, he looked just like that guy from the bus this morning…

She pointed an accusing finger at him and they both opened their mouths in shock at the same time.

"It's you!"

* * *

AN: I must apologize for the delay in this chapter, but, like most of you out there, I have been forced to return to the fiery pits of hell and have been getting a lot of homework. Not to mention the fact that I have to wake up before six now and as such have been getting exhausted. As a result, I have once again become familiar with (unplanned) naptime. So updates now will depend on three things: my mood, amount of homework, and whether or not I collapse into my bed from exhaustion.

Hmm…I'm thinking I'm gonna write this chapter over some day. It just feels so…empty, like it has no feeling in it almost. It's just not what I had imagined it to be before and I'm a little disappointed with myself. Oh well, I'll definitely make the next chapter better. Hey, guess what? The next chapter will reveal the PLOT! Yay!

Responses:

BlueDove: As long as everyone understands the general age, I'm fine with it.

SilentDark: I'm gonna reveal that in the next couple of chapters. I can't really think of the words right now. But yes, it was Kagome.

Crimsondrop7: I spelled bishounen right. In Japanese, the 'u' in words like that is used to show which syllable is more stressed than the rest of the word. For example, it would be kind of weird to say SesshomarU or SESShomaru; it's pretty much a pronunciation thing. Many people drop the 'u' though. Both are right, but I prefer the 'ou' spelling.


	4. Chapter 4

Along Came a Kitsune

:Kurama:

**Youko**

I promise, this will be the last time those change.

Chapter 4: The Ring

Kurama stayed on the bus for a couple minutes longer before he got off at his stop: Rumiko Law and Appraisal.

In the meantime, Youko was raging in his mind. **She wouldn't give me her name! **Me!** It's all your fault, human! Years ago, she would have been begging for me to get in her pants in the time it took to get to her stop.**

:Calm down. And don't blame me.: He turned left at the secretary's desk, ignoring her blatant stares. :Like I said before, she probably has a boyfriend, maybe even a husband already. And she wasn't wearing pants.: He recalled she had been wearing a forest green knee-length skirt.

**That only makes it worse, human. And no, she isn't married. There wasn't a ring. And if she was in any sort of serious relationship, then the male's scent would have been all over her, **he said smugly. In the eye of Kurama's mind, Youko sat smugly with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, practically daring his counterpart to say differently.

:Fine, Youko, you're right. But will you please desist in calling me 'Human'? It's rather annoying.:

**Maybe.**

The pair was unable to discuss the matter further as a shriek echoed down the hallway. "Minamino, you're late!" Meia verbally assaulted him in full fury. He didn't bother mentioning he was five minutes early. As far as she was concerned, everyone was always late except for her. He calmly waited for her to finish her rant. "—listening to me, Minamino!"

"No," he answered truthfully before walking into his office and shutting the door.

**Good job, I have taught you well,** Youko praised.

Four to ten days out of every month, Kurama reveled in his high position at Rumiko Law and Appraisal. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that his level of expertise was most likely the reason why the firm was so highly praised and referred to. It was why he had so much more freedom than the other employees. And it was the reason why, no matter how much she threatened to do so, Meia feared the prospect of firing the kitsune in hiding. Of course, this did nothing to improve Youko's huge ego, but the inflation couldn't be helped.

Kurama sat in his cushy chair and picked up the single file on his desk concerning the client he would be expected to see in the next ten minutes. Apparently, a couple was divorcing and while they were dividing up possessions—in a non-too-peaceful manner, he inferred—the question of jewelry had come up. It was decided that they would sell the jewels and split the money, but every person they had been taken to had come up with a cost that varied greatly from the ones previous.

When he heard footsteps approaching his door, he leaped from his chair and was outside of his office before the person could knock. He plastered a pleasant smile on his face. "Why hello, Meia. Would you like to accompany me down to the conference room?" he asked in an amiable tone. He knew it disturbed the woman.

"I'll be there in a minute," said she shortly as she turned on her heel.

When everyone had made their way into one of the large conference rooms, a pair of assistants brought in the jewels in question. Kurama knew right away which ones could be used for a children's dress-up party or were meant to be sold to adults, but he knew that if he didn't put on a show for them, he wouldn't be believed. Slowly enough to irritate a few people, he pulled a key from his suit pocket and turned to an almost invisible compartment behind him. He retrieved a few tools that humans use to judge the value of material possessions and brought them to the table. Individually, he tested each of the jewels and made notes in his notepad here and there.

When he tested each and had added up everything on his notepad, he checked over his algebra, just to make sure everyone was good and annoyed, before he sat back.

"_Well?_" Meia prompted.

Kurama sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. "Altogether, the values add up to"—he looked down at his paper to build a little suspense—"One thousand dollars, fifteen hundred at the most."

A startled "What!" sounded throughout the room as the couple sprang from their chairs in outrage.

Kurama quelled their fury with depredating remarks veiled with sugar and honey. When both he and Youko grew bored, he put up their supplies and excused himself, saying he preferred to finish his paperwork for this case in silence.

Now, after a day of dealing with divorces, frauds, and business mergers, he was watering his plants as he prepared to leave for the rest of the day.

An intern poked her head in. "Excuse me, Mr. Minamino…"

Kurama recognized her. She was an aspiring lawyer with great wit and intelligence who had just begun interning a month ago. Unfortunately, like every other female (and some males) she turned to putty at the sight of his. "Yes, Lita?"

"There's a woman here. Kagome Higurashi is her name. She doesn't have an appointment or anything, and you're the only appraiser here right now…"

"Which room is she in?"

"Waiting room, sir. Should I tell her that you're coming?"

"There's no need, I can go right now." Eri nodded and left. Kurama prayed this woman wouldn't prove too frustrating; he just wasn't in the mood today. He went through the familiar labyrinth of hallways and opened one of the doors. The dark-haired woman was facing the television. The weather forecast said to expect sun for the next week, but he never believed that. It was much simpler to rely on Youko's acute senses. "Kagome? Miss, are you Kagome Higurashi?"

At hearing her name, she turned around. **Hey, it's her! Maybe she spent her day trying to find us. It's very believable, **Youko gloated.

"It's you!"

After a few moments of shock, he led her to his office and pulled out a chair for her. "Fate works in mysterious ways," he said cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

He leaned toward her and let a little of Youko thread through his words. "Despite what you wanted, I now know your name…Kagome Higurashi," he added to stress his point.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "I didn't come here to be hit on."

"What did you come here for?"

Kagome quickly fished through her purse and retrieved a ring and held it to him with her arm completely outstretched, as if it were a cross and he a vampire. She amused him to no end.

**I've seen that before… **Said Youko.

:Oh, really: he asked, not really expecting a reply.

**I believe I used its partner to torture people when I was bored. Not sure what happened to it though…But I want this one! Get it!**

He held out his hand for her to drop the ring into and went about his normal act, this time going slower so he would have time to speak with the maiden. It was a very simple piece, really. It was a braided silver band with a deep red jewel nestled in its center. He sensed a faint youkai aura, though it wasn't nearly enough to make him wonder if it could execute the task Youko had just admitted to.

Said Kurama in a casual manner, "So your name is Kagome, correct? It's a very unique name, very beautiful."

"Thanks."

"What do you do for a living, Kagome?"

"I teach."

"Teach what exactly?"

"A subject."

"Perhaps you could tell me where you work?" he asked, still trying to find out more about Kagome.

"I'd prefer not to," she said shortly.

Kurama raised his head from his act to look her in the eyes. "Why is that, may I ask?"

She met his look squarely. "Because having the bigheaded employee of one of the most successful law firms in all of Japan stalking me is not very high on my list of priorities." She gave him a humorless smile while tilting her head slightly to the side and raised her brows a smidgen. "So is it worth my coming here?"

He allowed her to have the subject revert to the ring. "I'm afraid it's not of much value to humans." She slumped a little in her seat at that. "However…I would like to purchase it from you, if that is alright."

"I would have to ask my mother. She's the one that asked me to bring the ring here. Could I come back tomorrow?"

Kurama saw opportunity knocking. He shook his head. "I'm afraid that wouldn't work out very well. You see, I conduct most business from my home, and am never really sure when I'll be here at the main building. Perhaps I could go to your home or you to mine."

"Where's your house?"

"I'll write down the address." He scrabbled it on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to her.

"I won't be able to come until this weekend."

"That's perfectly alright, Kagome."

"How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house," he replied. She raised an eyebrow, obviously disbelieving. "I'll walk you out." He was out of his seat and helping her out of hers before she could protest. "I look forward to seeing you soon, Kagome," he said as they reach the main doors. She left hurriedly without a word. Kurama sighed and returned to his office to finished packing up for the day.

"Hello, Kurama," said a jolly voice behind him. Boton. He put on a light coat then turned to face her. "Koenma has a job for all four of you, but you weren't answering your communicator."

"Huh? Oh, yes, sorry about that. I believe I left it at my home."

"No problem! It's nothing life-threatening. Or…not immediately anyways."

"Just open the portal, Boton."

"Righty-o!"

* * *

A/N: Well, I lied. The plot won't be starting until chapter 6 now. I was thinking of putting it in here, but I wouldn't have time to finish it then for the next couple of weeks because some of my family is coming down from Wisconsin to go to the beach with us this weekend and I have a couple projects I need to finish. Besides, this is already four pages on Microsoft Word.

The next chapter will be relatively short. Two, maybe three pages long. Hopefully I'll get it out within the next couple of weeks.

Review Responses:

Kill-all-flamers210: Thanks!

Silver: it is a k/k fic.

Dragonsdaughter: You shall see. I don't want to give anything away right now.


	5. Chapter 5

Along Came a Kitsune

Chapter 5: I Can Still Feel Your Touch

Finding a fairly isolated seat on the bus, Kagome felt a sensation of relief rush through her. That Kurama…was something else.

He was cunning. He was confident. He was handsome.

_Why do I always seem to go for the jerks?_

He had something _kitsune_ about him.

And yet, he didn't feel very…kitsune-ish…to her miko senses. He felt similar to how her little Shippou, but it was so faint that the first time she had felt it—when they saw each other in the waiting room—she thought it had been her imagination, that perhaps she missed the Sengoku Jidai just a little too much. But when the feeling never dissipated (it had actually gotten a little stronger) she had gotten suspicious of the green-eyed bishounen and mentally refused to let as little as possible out about herself because there was no telling whether youkai had survived through the years and, for all she knew, residual energy from the Shikon no Tama could still be on her. And yet, a small part of her told her not to worry about this man: HE didn't feel like a kitsune—not that much—it was more like he had a lot of contact with one.

_Perhaps he's the reincarnation of a kitsune. Maybe even Shippou._ She sighed. It wouldn't do to dwell over things like that. And if she kept having those thoughts like that, she might get attached to Kurama, and she refused to let anyone cause her to stray from her undying love for Inuyasha.

But her thought also held some ground. If he was the reincarnation of a youkai—an upper level youkai, that is—it would certainly account for his breathtaking appearance and eyes so piercing they reminded her of Sesshoumaru.

At this point in her thought process, she blushed as she remembered how he had looked at her. It was like he had a secret, one of those I-know-something-you-don't-know kind of gazes—and had his eyes gotten lighter too?

She shook her head. She was sure it was just exhaustion from the day. A good night's sleep would cure her of everything.

But first she had to eat dinner with her family.

Kagome looked between a couple heads to see the street names and sighed. With the traffic how it was at the moment, it would still be half an hour before making it to the Higurashi shrine. But that was just fine with her.

She had plenty to contemplate.

Deciding that thinking of Kurama may just give her a headache, she decided to inwardly investigate the feeling she had gotten once she had left the building.

She had felt some kind of energy, but it wasn't pure like that of a miko or monk, and it wasn't that of a youkai. It was just…somewhere in between. It was there…but not there. A pang of hunger accompanied this, but it left just as quickly as it came.

This had been happening to her for years now, but she had never been able to determine why. Mostly it came in small hunger pains or cramps. Occasionally, she found bruises that had no reason for existing and a cut or two that seemed to be from the air, for nothing sharp had been near her. A couple of appendages had been sprained before as well when she had experience that other energy. If it hadn't been for those times, she would have just thought she had bad luck or hemophilia or something like that.

She was sure her grandfather would have been overjoyed to hear she might actually possess one of the diseases he had told her friends about.

Kagome laughed lightly at this before returning to her troubling thoughts. So engrossed in contemplation was she that she almost missed the driver saying through the microphone, "Higurashi Drive, home of the Higurashi Shrine." She quickly picked up her things and exited the bus. It left quickly and she took a breath to prepare herself from the trek up the mountain of steps. All in all, living in a shrine wasn't too bad, but she could never get used to the stairs. She suspected they were the reason that Grandfather rarely left the shrine except for what he called "important meetings"—where the heads of all the shrines in the area met to complain about the "young folks" of the present days.

From the first step to the last, she could feel the pure energy from the ofudas she had placed on the shrine—after all, just because seeing demons wasn't an everyday occurrence any more didn't mean they weren't out there. Any protection she could give her family was better than nothing since she couldn't live so far away from her place of work. Reaching the top, she could feel the purity of everything around here and feel the hum from that could only come from what existed for centuries, such as the God Tree and the Bone-Eater's Well. She closed her eyes to enjoy that feeling for a moment before she turned to smile at her brother, who was running up to her just as he had all of his life. In his last year of high school (and now taller than her) it looked rather ridiculous, but Kagome didn't comment on that.

She opened her arms wide to hug him and laughed while she let him spin her around a couple times. "Okay, Souta, stop. I don't want to get sick." He did as she asked. She looked up at him and found that she just reached his chin. "That's it. You're not allowed to grow any more. I don't want people thinking I have a big brother."

He smirked and bowed, "As you wish, oh great miko."

"Speaking of which, how has your training been going?" she asked as they walked across the shrine grounds to the house. Kagome knew that Souta was being trained by Grandfather so he could take over the shrine after the elder's death, but she didn't know exactly HOW he was being trained. And, although she loved Grandfather very much, she didn't think that he would be able to teach Souta more than story telling.

Souta rounded into his sister's path and shook a finger at her. "Ah ah ah, that's a secret."

Kagome sighed. "Fine. What's for dinner?"

"You're eating with us for the first time in weeks, what do you think Mama made?" he asked as he opened the door to the kitchen.

Kagome looked at the table and could have jumped up and down at what she saw. "Oden!"

Dinner lasted much longer than usual as everyone caught up with each others' life. Everyone had been especially interested in her acquaintance with the red-haired man, and Mama told Kagome that if "that nice young man" wanted to buy the ring, then let him. Kagome inwardly cringed at this, though a part of her did want to see him again. It was something about the way he said, "It's not much value to humans." It hinted that he knew there was more out there. _He may even be planning my demise as we speak._ But then again, he could have just been joking.

Kagome helped her mother clear the dishes and continued their conversation while washing them. Mama and Grandfather soon informed the siblings that they were tired and would be retiring for the night and Grandfather, with a malicious glint beginning to form in his eyes, told Souta that he would do well to do the same. Souta groaned but complied, leaving Kagome the only one awake.

That didn't bother her. It was exactly what she wanted. She waited for a few minutes and soon heard Grandfather's snoring. She knew it only took the others their heads hitting the pillow to put them to sleep, and so knew that she could now do what she wanted.

She softly opened and closed the door leading outside and slowly walked across the shrine grounds to the old wellhouse. So many memories were awoken at the mere sight of the building, it took all she had to open the doors and walk down those few steps. She spoke a prayer over the boarded-over well before quickly leaving. The well, now not functioning, felt so…empty.

Besides, there was one place she would much rather be.

The God Tree, as old as time itself she sometimes thought, held the memories of so many. And it was the single most important object in her life. It was here that she met her first love. And it was here that she buried him. And it was here that her best friends had informed her that they would be buried as well. In this one spot, they could all be together again.

"_Kagome…"_ The old tree seemed to whisper to her in the voice of her loved one. _"I love you…"_

"I love you too Inuyasha," she sobbed, "I still love you. I always will."

She could still remember how he had touched her that night. He had hesitantly brought his hand to her cheek, as if fearing her rejection despite the fact she had returned his words of love. Then, with a little more confidence, he had rubbed his thumb across her cheek.

She could still remember exactly how his lips felt upon hers.

"I love you," were her last words before she sobbed herself to sleep.

* * *

Mama looked though her window and saw that her little girl's breathing had finally evened out. She sighed heavily. It was like this every time she returned to the shrine. Ever since she moved out, she had never once slept in her own bed. Mama worried about her almost constantly. Although she knew how deeply a dead love could affect the heart, and that they could never leave, she hoped that Kagome would be able to find another to love just as completely as she did Inuyasha. She was sure that he would not want to see Kagome suffer as she did now. But she didn't think Kagome could see that.

She sighed once again and grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet. She couldn't call herself a good mother if she let her daughter freeze.

* * *

A/N: Yay! I finally updated. I'm sure those of you who have (been forced to) read Dickens understand. Anyways, thanks everyone for your support. And I have to say that I have learned my lesson about stopping writing a chapter right in the middle; it took me forever to remember what I was gonna write!

Anywho, a while ago a reviewer for Red Flowers going by the pseudonym foxygrl asked me if I could write a sess/kag fic sometime. I have an idea for one, so that may be coming up sometime in the near or far future.

Red Flowers will be going on hiatus for a little while because I only have so much time on my hands and if I had to choose between my fics, it would be this one. Don't worry though, I won't be discontinuing it.

Reviewer Responses:

TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ASKED FOR ME TO WRITE LONGER CHAPTERS: This has no positive effect on the length. I will write as much as feels right to me. And although I can sympathize with you and appreciate that you like my writing, this is a pet peeve of mine and I will most likely make the chapter shorter just to spite you. If any of this sounded mean, I apologize.

baa baa black sheep: you asked me to post on something, but I think the site was deleted, so that it reads, "can you post this fic on ?" Did you mean to say mediaminer?

inu.-sess.fan: sorry, but I don't think I'll be needing any OC in this fic.

Well, I wish everyone luck on your finals (grr). I'll do my best to try to update sometime during the holidays!


	6. Chapter 6

Along Came a Kitsune

:Kurama:

**Youko**

'_Hiei'_

_Thoughts_ (as indicated)

Chapter 6: Old Friends, New Enemy

Stepping through the portal the cheery transporter of the dead opened to Koenma's office, he made sure that Youko used his plants to remove all traces of Kagome from his person. It was better to be safe than sorry, and Hiei had excellent senses—better than he would ever let on. It was unspoken knowledge between them that as long as Koenma didn't know of all their abilities, it was like they were doing nothing for the pay.

He let out a soft sigh. It had gotten so boring lately. The only jobs available for the Spirit Detectives required no more than two of them at a time—only one if it was for either of the youkai of the team—and that was more because of the amount of youkai that had made it though the barrier separating the worlds, not the strength. Kurama could not help but wonder what kind of job would require the entire team. Though he suspected it was probably not as big a problem as he was beginning to suspect—Botan had been her usual bubbly self and had done nothing more out of the ordinary than lightly scold him for "misplacing" his communicator.

Kurama gazed at the scene before him in Koenma's enormous office. On the large-screen television on one side, Yusuke and Kuwabara were playing some kind of fighting game. _Even digitally, _Kurama mused, _Kuwabara has no chance of beating Yusuke. _

**Y'know, I feel a little sorry for the guy. **

:Yes, as do I.:

Hiei leaned against a wall with his arms crossed, smirking. Anyone who knew the forbidden child knew that that was never a good sign.

He shifted his eyes slightly to follow Hiei's line of sight and his gaze fell upon the young prince of Reikai, who was pinned to the wall by several daggers.

Koenma's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he noticed Kurama. "Oh, Kurama, thank the heavens you're here! S-save me from him!"

At a movement from the shadows, Kurama instantly sprang into alertness. "Who is there? Show yourself," he demanded as he drew his rose whip.

A chained sickle sprang forth with no warning from the darkness. Kurama parried with his whip and the sickle's blade became imbedded in the one perpendicular to the one Koenma was still stuck to.

A dark chuckle sounded from where the weapon had come from. "I'm glad you haven't lost your touch, Kurama. That human body has not slowed you down after all."

Said kitsune's eyes widened in shock. _No, it can't be. I thought he was dead._ "K-Kuronue? Is that you?"

A pale, smirking figure dressed in black emerged from the shadows. "In the flesh."

"But how?"

"You can thank the greatest genius of all the worlds for that," a haughty voice boomed throughout the room. It finally brought the two humans from their game. The lights dimmed and smoke filled the room before a blindingly intense light flashed, leaving only a puff of smoke from which a young man appeared. His eyes were and aqua color and his red hair was spiked in the popular fashion for boys—and some girls—at the time. In black pants and a forest green dress shirt and accessorized with a single hoop earring in his left ear, he was dressed to impress.

If it were possible to die from too much sighing, Kurama would have been six feet under. "Still as overly dramatic as ever, I see, kit."

"Me? Overly dramatic? What about you!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Kurama. "If you had just believed me when I told you I could save Kuronue instead of getting all depressed, you wouldn't be stuck in that weak human body!"

Kurama's eyes flashed gold and his hand found itself around the younger kitsune's neck in a second. "Care to repeat that?"

He held up his hands in a calming gesture. "N-no, boss."

"Good."

Koenma cleared his throat. "If someone could let me down, we can begin." Kuronue obliged and Koenma hopped onto his desk, as far away from Kurama's old partner as he could possibly be without falling off. "Now, if you would all draw your attention to the screen." Once again, the lights dimmed, but now light was provided by the large screen. "As you have all probably guessed, because all of you are required, we are faced with a new foe. These are some of his latest victims." He flipped through several images of both demons and humans. When the screen stopped flashing, it turned off and the lights turned back on.

"Koenma," Kurama began, "you said 'some of his latest victims'. What do you mean by this."

The prince closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "I should have known you would pick up on that. What I mean is that, those are the only ones we found. It is possible that this opponent—we do not know the race as of yet—has been in activity for years and only chose now. And, before you ask, I believe this may be so because it's not the first time that I've seen wounds like these, but there weren't enough deaths to get any interest. And if this person had struck before, and then appeared to disappear, but then show up again so suddenly, it is possible they are capable of hiding their kills, and there could be more than what he let us find. It is also possible that he could pass through the barrier between the worlds at will." Koenma paused to let everyone soak in the information.

"As you can see, there are very few physical links between the victims. The women were bitten in the side and their souls were sucked out through this wound, and the men were decapitated and the result was the same. However, when the Reikai Intelligence teams looked, we found some similarities that might be the reason the victims were attacked." He paused. "The women all had some miko power, though, as can be expected, not very powerful. The men were all either human with traces of youkai blood, or youkai with traces of human blood. Unfortunately," he said as he placed his head on his hands, "that is all we know."

"Which is nothing," Hiei mumbled.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you could tell us, toddler?"

"No, Yusuke," Koenma said gravely, ignoring the toddler comment. "I'm sorry, but I've used all of my resources, and that was all that came of it. Believe me, you're not the only one that wishes there was a little more known about this enemy, but there is nothing else."

"Oh, hey, hey!" the kit shouted, jumping up and down. "What if we use Kurama for bait? I mean, he has youkai and human blood. Then we can jump this guy and kill him!"

Kuronue hit the kit on his head, leaving him to nurture the wound. "Haven't you learned anything about not underestimating your opponents yet, kit? We must've wasted hundreds of years trying to teach you that!"

"He's right. If this guy hasn't attacked the fox yet, that means he either doesn't know about him, or he can't use him," said Hiei. "After all, if he's powerful enough to mask his presence, then that means he can't be weak."

Koenma put his hands firmly on his desk. "That is exactly why I called you all here today—to tell you to be alert. If there's anything suspicious, the problem needs to be taken care of immediately. If anything else pops up, I'll have Botan contact you all. You are dismissed."

* * *

AN: Well, that was kinda a fun chapter to do. Now we have a bad guy in here. I think the next one will be split between Kagome and Kurama.

I noticed I spelled Botan's name wrong in chapter four, but it's so minor it wouldn't be worth reuploading, so I'm leaving it as is. It will be spelled with an A from now on.

I hope everyone had a merry Christmahanakwanzaakadon and wish you all a happy New Year!

Review Responses:

pt bear: I hope this chapter relieved some of your curiosity.

Kittypup13: Thanks for understanding. That's what I believe too.

crazy-punk-girl: Your guess is as good as mine. I'm just playing it by ear.


	7. Chapter 7

Along Came a Kitsune

:Kurama:

**Youko**

_Thoughts _(usually)

Chapter 7: Blackout

Kagome woke up at dawn the next morning, courtesy of the rising sun. Yawning, she rubbed the last of her sleepiness from her eyes and folded up the blanket before returning to the house to prepare breakfast. To her surprise, her mother's smiling face met her at the entrance to the kitchen, her hands holding a plate of sliced vegetables over a pot.

"Oh, good morning, Kagome. I hope you've had a good night's sleep?"

"Yes, very," she lied through her teeth. "It looks like it'll be a beautiful day as well. Do you have anything planned Mama?"

"The usual shopping. Then this afternoon Grandpa and I will be attending Souta's soccer game. You're invited to come, if you'd like."

Kagome smiled regretfully. "I'd much rather do that, but I can't."

"Oh, yes, that's right. You're going off to meet that handsome young man."

"Don't say it like that! I'm not interested in him at all."

Both pairs of eyes traveled to the Goshinboku just outside the kitchen window. An odd silence passed between them. Mama pasted her smile back on and clapped her hands once. "Well then," she said with fake spirit, "I should go wake the boys. You go ahead and start eating. Grandpa will want you two to help clean up the shrine."

"Yes Mama."

* * *

"Kurama…" the young kitsune groaned as he made his way down the stairs. He nearly fell a few times, but saved himself by hanging onto the railing. "Do you have anything for hangovers? I fell like I'm gonna die."

"Yes, in fact I have the perfect solution," Kurama said calmly, not taking his eyes off the morning paper as he drank a cup of strong tea.

"What is it? Some kind of miracle pill?"

"No, it's the perfect solution to not getting hangovers in the first place: Don't get drunk."

"Kurama…! I'm dying here!"

"Just give him what he wants," said Kuronue, hitting the boy on the head, followed by muttered complaints and threats. "Or else he'll give _us _headaches."

Kurama sighed, then opened his palm to reveal a single seed. It was quickly taken and swallowed. "I'd find a bed if I were you" Kurama warned. The boy nodded and ambled back up the stairs.

"So you're expecting someone?" At Kurama's raised brow, said Kuronue, "Otherwise, you would have pestered the brat about his low tolerance instead of getting him the hell out of your way. Business or pleasure?"

"Business…for now. I will change her mind soon enough."

"Do you think she'll turn out like the others once you drop her?"

"Perhaps."

* * *

Kagome had pushed through the city traffic and was now in a much less populated area of the suburbs. She was thankful that her mother had allowed her to borrow her car. This way, she could procrastinate in the heavy traffic and make a quick escape when her mission was accomplished. But for now, she decided to take her foot off the gas pedal a little and…enjoy the scenery.

She began to see fewer and fewer houses and when she passed what she was sure was the last bus stop, she began to wonder if she had missed a turn. A mile later, she found a small, concealed dirt road that she would have missed were it not for the fact that she was driving so slowly.

After only a minute or two later, she cleared the trees and found herself in an area that could have been on a postcard. In front of her was a two-story house built in the traditional Japanese style. Around it was a modest wooden fence. Behind the house was a rise that wasn't small enough to be called a hill, but couldn't be a mountain either. To her left was a lake that even from her distance she could tell wouldn't be bad to take a swim in. The nature around her felt—and looked—wild, but at the same time strangely tame.

Kagome stopped her car just to the side of the fence and prepared herself to greet the handsome man named Kurama. She almost winced at this thought, but reassured herself that it was natural for people to do this. After all, she acknowledged that many actors were "hotties", but that didn't mean that she was gonna marry them all. _No, beauty doesn't exist only on the silver screen,_ she told herself as she made her way to his door. She rang the doorbell and almost immediately was met with beautiful green eyes.

"Kagome, hello. How are you today?"

She took a breath and decided to be as curt as she could. "Hello. You can stuff it with the small talk. I have things to do today."

"I'm sure you do," he replied as if she hadn't been rude. "Please, come in."

She followed him into a sitting room with a low table. A tea pot and two cups were set in the middle. He poured the tea then sat across from her.

"May I see the ring again before I tell the price I am willing to pay?"

She fished it out of her purse and placed it in his palm then watched him as he barely glanced at it and smiled. "How does ten thousand yen sound?"

"No sale."

He smiled sweetly again. "It's the best offer you're gonna get. After all—"

"It's not of any use to humans?" When his smile dropped, she smirked. "Then who is it of use to, hm?"

"You misunderstood me, dear Kagome. These rings only have any value because there is a tale of a curse behind them, one that is known to very few. I'm a collector of objects such as these. Now, let me just get my wallet…"

"Not so fast. I want to hear this legend of yours. After all, a shrine girl like myself just _loves_ to hear stories about artifacts," Kagome said sweetly. She stood. "I'd especially enjoy hearing why someone like you wants some ring bought at some cheap pawn shop. Perhaps you'd like to entertain me with that story as well…kitsune." Although she said this accusingly, she only had that small inkling of a feeling to go on, but judging on how he stood in response told her that she'd hit dead on.

:How did she…:

**I don't know.**

"No answer? Well, I'll be taking my leave now." She picked up the ring on the table before cautiously making her way to the door. She was pushed up against the wall with his hand on the surface behind her before she made it halfway. She felt the beginnings of a headache. _Damn, perfect timing_.

"Why the rush?" Kurama said seductively, "The bus doesn't come for at least another two hours."

Her head _really _hurt. "I have a car." _Although I won't be able to drive if this gets worse…again._

"It seems like you thought of everything." He noticed that she began to tense up and was leaning against the wall.

**Something's wrong.**

He heard a stair squeak.

Kagome let out a whimper of pain.

"Damn, Kurama. I know this is your house and all, but get a room, why don't ya. Your conquests don't need to be witnessed by the rest of the world. And…Hey, what's wrong with her?"

The new aura felt familiar to her, even through the haze of the pain. "Sh…Shippou?" she asked quietly before new pain wracked her mind. Her hands flew to her head and she screamed.

Her body felt to hot. She felt like she would suffocate. The pain burned her. It was worse than before…so much worse. Her senses were going crazy.

"Kagome? Kagome!" she heard through the pain. It was someone she should know, but at this point, her mind was too far gone to acknowledge anyone.

The sounds were fading but that voice still…

"_Kagome! Kagome! Kagomeeee!"_

And then there was nothing.

* * *

Note: 10,000 yen is just a little over $90.

AN: I apologize for withdrawing for so long, but other things in my life started taking priority, so…meh. What can ya do? In any case, I plan on updating once or twice again before school starts and after that…we'll see how my schedule goes.

Review Responses:

Yes, it was Shippou

Yes, the bad guy is after Kagome and Inuyasha

The situations with Kuronue and Shippou will be explained later (Shippou in the next chapter)

Inu or Kurama with Kagome…not telling yet

MysticalFlame: Yes, you're right for the time placement for YYH. I haven't seen all of the Sensui arc, but I read spoilers, so I know what you're talking about with his father and everything. Also, about the Inuyasha thing: he says what he does because he believes that when he reincarnates he'll be with Kagome again, but he's not sure when this will happen, and in the meantime he doesn't want Kagome to get depressed and, possibly, suicidal.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

Along Came a Kitsune

Chapter 8: Million-dollar Smile

The darkness was going to drive her insane.

She could feel it, pressing down on her, dissolving her last resolve as the pounding continued.

She wanted to fight back, but knew from previous experiences that it would be impossible. Her invisible assailants would continue this deluge until they grew weary of her.

Or if she gave up.

But she wasn't about to do anything like that.

They would destroy her if she did that.

And then she would face the humiliation of being an everyday, weak human.

Inuyasha wouldn't accept that.

She had to be strong.

For Inuyasha.

Yes, but…she felt as if she were giving birth to Athena.

The pounding went on and on…never ending…she couldn't handle it.

If only someone could…

"HELP!"

Kagome shot up, her head grazing someone's nose in the process.

She took a quick glance of the area around her. It wasn't her apartment. It wasn't her family's shrine.

"Ouch!" said someone to her right. "Kagome, what'd you do that for?"

She quickly turned to the speaker, trying to bring out her miko powers only to find they had already surfaced. Her eyes met those of a disheveled red-head with a burned nose.

"Who are you?" she asked him, glaring.

The man reached out to her. "Kagome, don't you remem—"

"Give me a straight answer or it won't just be your nose that's burned!" she said as she began to push energy into her hands.

He looked even more hurt now. He backed up a little. "Kagome, it's me…Shippou."

The shock of hearing his name made her miko energy disappear. Tears now threatened to spill from her eyes. "Shippou, it's really you?"

He smiled and nodded his head. In a puff of smoke, he was back to the apparent age he was when they traveled together. He allowed her to hug him, crying, for a few minutes before he carefully shrunk away from her grip and returned to his normal form.

Now, she lunged at him, crying sadly at first, then laughing.

When she had finally calmed down, memories of before she blacked out rushed back to her.

"So," she said with displeasure, "where is he?"

"You mean Kurama? His boss called him in a while ago. He didn't think he'd be gone very long, so he left you in my care."

Kagome stood up. "In that case," she said while rummaging for keys, "I'd better make my getaway." She found them and started walking toward the door.

"Wait!" She stopped. He was standing there awkwardly, something that just seemed wrong for someone of his image. "I want…I mean…I just."

Her eyes softened and she nodded. "I know Shippou. I need you too."

They both understood the invitation that was behind the short conversation and soon they were both in her mother's car.

Needing to fill the silence between them, Kagome asked the question that was most weighing on her mind. "Shippou, what happened after I left? Why are you with that playboy?"

Shippou took a few minutes to gather his thoughts.

"After you left…everything went pretty normal. We missed you, but were happy with the knowledge that you were safe in your time. For a while, people called on us to exterminate demons, and in between times Sango and Miroku helped to train me; Kirara too. But soon, Sango was too far into her pregnancy to fight, and Miroku didn't travel far after that. But that didn't really matter because there seemed to be fewer youkai to deal with. We assumed that it was because of Naraku's defeat. Also, you said before that in your time, there weren't any youkai, so we assumed this was the start of it.

"Anyways, I grew up being raised by Miroku and Sango. When I was old enough, I went out on my own to help people who still had youkai problems. These were few and far between. When Sango and Miroku died of old age, I looked after their kids and grandkids and so on. But somehow, as years went by, I kept feeling this strange pull, and I started spending less and less time with humans. I was attacked by another demon and when I awoke, I was in some strange land, injured, and with no way to survive. I won't bore you with the details, but let me just tell you that I stole from the wrong kitsune. Anyways, despite my age, Kurama and his partner Kuronue took me in like you and Inuyasha did so many years ago." He didn't fail to notice her wince when he spoke the name.

Kagome drove the car to its place behind the shrine grounds.

Shippou glanced at his watch, knowing that Kurama and Kuronue were home by now and knew he was missing. He would have to go soon.

"Kagome," he said quietly, hesitantly.

She turned to him, no clear emotion on her face.

"He…hasn't come back yet, has he?" Her silence answered for him.

It struck a chord in him that the fiery girl he knew could be so quiet, so unresponsive. He remembered her as the girl who "sat" Inuyasha when he said or did something stupid, the girl who with a single smile reminded the group that there was hope in defeating Naraku, the strange girl who held their atypical group together.

He knew this wasn't how it was supposed to be for her. She was supposed to live happily ever after surrounded by love. She wasn't supposed to be lost in heartbreak over the fact that the man she loved was not there, wondering if he'd ever return, or if he'd forgotten about her. Or worse, wondering if those words… _Kagome. I love you…_ that promise…_I will find you again someday…_had been meaningless to the hanyou.

_Inuyasha, don't worry, I'll bring back Kagome's smile._

_

* * *

_

Note: According to Greek mythology, the goddess Athena was born out of her father, Zeus's, head. While she was in there though, she was making her armor, and this gave Zeus really bad headaches.

AN: Well, it's shorter than the others, but I like how it turned out. Sorry if Kagome seems OOC. But…well…between Kurama hitting on her and her waking up in a strange place with some weird youkai by her, and then having to remember her past, and the stuff about Inu…I think it's justified.

Anyways, don't expect another chapter for at least two weeks because my schedule will be going something like this: wake up, eat, babysit for four hours (three of the little buggers), come home, eat, go to driver's ed, come home, read driver's ed manual (cuz I'm a procrastinator when it comes to boring things) and/or work on over-the-net health class, collapse from exhaustion. But I promise to get another chapter out before school starts.

Reviews:

foxcat: Shippou doesn't really have an alias; he's just older, and never told Kurama and Kuronue his name, so they call him whatever they want.

Shabopo: If he were reincarnated, it would be around the time Kag is born, give or take a few years. Thanks for your thoughts, but I already have this pretty much planned out; it's the writing it out that's going so slow. By the way, I practically worship your fic TSOTB, but my email won't let me review on A Single Spark (where I normally read). I completely forgot you had an account on


	9. Chapter 9

Along Came a Kitsune

:Kurama:

**Youko**

Chapter Nine: The Annoyance, the Comfort, and the Threat

This was it.

She couldn't take any more of this.

If she'd had any doubt that this guy was a demon, she was certainly proven wrong. That damned nose of his…

Even stalkers—human stalkers, at least—had their limits. But this man—_Youkai,_ she corrected herself—was prepared to track her through Hell or high water (the water being metaphorical, of course) with those enhanced demon senses, all the while smiling so patiently as if she was a child just now learning the ways of the world—one of those ways being that he would always win.

It was the same smile he wore now as he sat across from her in her favorite corner of the coffee shop a block or two away from her apartment and the college. That smile…

"Fancy meeting you here, darling."

It annoyed her to no end.

"Indeed."

But…at the same time, it made her feel…

_No! _ she screamed in her mind before she accidentally put a name to that warm feeling.

Looking up at the innocent expression Kurama wore, she noted that it could only be matched by Miroku when he copped a feel or warned the richest inn owner that an ominous cloud hung over the building. And as such, she mentally congratulated herself on the forethought of putting up barriers around her apartment and the college. At the moment, if there was on thing she was grateful for it was that Kaede and Miroku had taught her how to better control her powers. She would have to burn extra incense for them tonight.

"So, what might a lovely maiden like yourself be doing on this beautiful day?" the red-head asked, allowing Youko to rise to the surface a little.

Kagome put a hand to her chest, feigning shock. "Why, an excellent stalker such as yourself doesn't already know my daily schedule. Mr. Minamino, I'm astonished!"

The man across from her sipped his tea. "Kurama, please. And I merely wished to demonstrate common courtesy of asking permission before resorting to drastic measures."

"Maybe I should go through with that restraining order after all," mused Kagome.

His smile slid into a smirk. "I regret to inform you that I work with lawyers who could very well turn that restraining order to an order that requires I be in the same room as you at all times."

Kagome returned his smugness in kind. "And I _don't _regret to inform _you_ that judges aren't so incorruptible that they won't favor the side with the largest wallet."

"And where would a mere teacher have managed to collect such a great sum? No disrespect intended, of course."

"Friends in high places," she said simply and in a tone that signified that the subject was closed. Kurama decided to let her have her way this once.

He leaned back casually, planning his next comment. Kagome resisted the urge to edge closer to the end of her seat. As she learned in the Sengoku Jidai, it was better to face your stalkers than run because no matter what, they'd never go away. Like a cockroach. Fortunately, an attention span could only last so long.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed softly. On her pointer finger was a small, thin cut that began to turn pink with blood that was trapped too far away from the cut to drop free of her body. Kurama reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. "It's just a damned paper cut," she said, though there wasn't any paper in the vicinity. "I won't die from it. See?" She held it up to him. "It's not even bleeding." They settled back into a semi-uncomfortable silence.

"So…the brat—Shippou," he corrected himself, still getting used to the kit having a name (as he had never told Youko and Kuronue one), "told me that the two of you used to sleep together. I assume that's why you seem to know each other?"

**Way to be blunt, hotshot,** Youko drawled.

:Shut up. We need to find out how close they are.:

He received a mental image of his alter ego rolling his eyes, but ignored it as they both discreetly watched her, gauging her reaction to his comment.

Kagome was slightly shocked as she heard that, but only allowed the arching of an eyebrow to express this. _So that must be how he explained it. I'll have to remember to pick him up some pocky. Or chocolate. Or both. _Kagome's eyes adopted a dreamy quality and she smiled as if she was reminiscing about a first love.

"Oh, yes. For about three years, since I was fifteen. At first I thought he was too big and wouldn't fit"—_in my sleeping bag_—"but he certainly proved me wrong. After that we were together every day except for about a week every month." She refrained from telling him that she never spent that week all at once, nor that after she blushingly explained to Inuyasha that the female cycle was in no way dangerous, completely natural, that he had no qualms about dragging her around feudal Japan, chocolate shortage and cramps be damned.

Across from her, Kurama was wishing she had answered with a simple yes or no. Preferably a "hell, no." His eye twitched. "And…did your parents approve of this?"

Kagome flashed a charming smile. "Of course! My mother even encouraged it. I believe she said something along the lines of 'It's never too early to learn.'" …_how to take care of children._ She chugged the rest of her drink and glanced at her watch. "I have other business to attend to shortly. You have the ring you wanted, and I don't need any payment for it. After all, it's of no use to us _humans_. So there's no reason for us to be near each other any longer. Goodbye." With that, she made a beeline to the door while Kurama was still mulling over their conversation. She felt a strange tinge of regret when his aura fell off her radar, but brushed it off. Business didn't like to be kept waiting.

:But…she never gave us the ring.:

* * *

Kagome, to this day, was still amazed at how much livelier the city was at night than during the day. Some nights, she would even allow herself to become part of this vivacious nightlife, when the occasion called for it. But this night, she couldn't help but sag from exhaustion, feeling alone in the crowd as she slowly meandered back to her apartment, where she knew she would collapse—hopefully on her bed. If not, then hopefully nowhere near sharp edges.

She regretted not calling for a taxi, as she continually had to check her surroundings to make sure she was going in the right direction, and now it would be pointless because her building was in sight.

And for the hundredth time that night, and for the hundred thousandth time in her life, she prayed…

_I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have accepted it._

She prayed that, someday soon, Sesshoumaru and Kagura would learn about—and use—contraceptives.

_I swear, they're like a couple of horny teenagers. They see each other and they're ready to go at it. I don't think I can handle babysitting any more kids. But at the same time…_

She managed to fit her key into the lock the right way. She flicked on the light switch and looked over the small area of the room. "I'm home…" Kagome said quietly, to no one in particular.

_But at the same time…I wish I was them. I wish I had someone to love, who loved me, and we could have a big family together, and, and…and…_

"Welcome home, Kagome," a voice called her out of her regrets. She looked up to find Shippou placing a tray of tea and teacups at the low table in the center of the room. Slowly, as if in a dream—or just feeling depleted as the case was—Kagome made her way to the table and slumped down to sit on her knees.

"Wha—How?"

Shippou turned what she imagined to be a serious—or seducing—glance to her. "Kagome, we are eternally bound by our experiences. No matter what I'll always be able to find you, even if you put those scent barriers around this place." At Kagome's raised eyebrow—for that was really all she had the energy for—he pouted, then returned to a normal, but moping, expression. "I told your mother I was courting you. She asked when to expect grandchildren." He paused, looked at her. "Can I stay here for a bit?"

At another time, she would have let loose a great peal of laughter, not stopping until she felt as if she would collapse. But instead, she merely raised the corners of her lips into a tired smile. "Kurama kicked you out, didn't he? Thought so, he did seem a bit perturbed this afternoon when he brought up that subject. Fine. Extra bedding is in that closet behind you. I'm going to bed now."

He watched her walk through a sliding door, looking overly burdened, and shut it, only to reopen it an inch or two a moment later. He busied himself pretending to be choosing the perfect bedding from the closet she had indicated earlier, knowing that she just needed that reassurance that he was there.

The door didn't close again.

* * *

It remembered. It remembered everything that had happened, how everything felt.

It remembered how her untrained, raw energy felt like.

It remembered the feeling, the smell of half-blood—the hanyou.

It remembered it's absolute hatred toward the both of them.

But that would soon be over.

Without the miko, the hanyou couldn't control himself.

Without the hanyou, the miko was less than useless.

One at a time…slowly…

It knew she was here, in this city.

And there were only so many shrines where the miko could hide.

It looked up the steps.

It could feel a young girl…

And she was filled with untrained, raw energy.


	10. Chapter 10

Along Came a Kitsune

:Kurama:

**Youko**

'_Hiei'_

Chapter 10: Turnaround

"…_In other news, there has been another shrine murder. Our field reporter, Ayumi Tekani is on the scene. Ayumi?"_

"_Yes, I'm here at the shrine belonging to the Yuyami family. It appears that their daughter, Mai, was the one attacked. Like all the other victims, she was bitten in her side, a chunk missing, as if the killer ate it. Though with the correct medical care this wound would definitely not be fatal, she appeared to have died instantly. There was no sign of a break-in, and no weapon. There are no clues to indicate the identity of this mad murderer thus far. Standing with me now is…"_

"Shippou, turn that off, now," Kagome said as she came out of the bathroom, robe tied securely and hair wrapped in a towel, and headed straight to her bedroom.

He complied. "But Kagome, aren't you worried? I mean, a youkai might be after you or something."

"I know a youkai's after me. And I'm sick of his annoying smile already. Tell him to back off." She threw her hair towel out the

"Kagome, I'm serious. We live a lot longer than humans. I'm proof of that! Someone could be holding a grudge against you!"

Kagome put on her best teaching smile. "Shippou, I'm sure that while that could be possible, just look at the pattern. They're young girls—not even one in college, let alone graduated—and live in shrines. If someone were after me, I'm sure they'd rather come straight for me rather than risking an entire shrine full of monks and mikos. It's just too random for a youkai that's supposedly targeting me. But I'll tell you what, next time I go to my family's shrine, I'll bring you, my big, strong kitsune to protect me."

"But—"

The phone rang.

"Hello? Yes, I saw the news, but…No, I…But…I'm trained to…You can stick it…But my lunch break isn't long enough!...No, I don't…Fine, I'll see you then."

Shippou listened as her voice changed from tired, to anger, to defeat. He raised an eyebrow as she set the phone in it's cradle.

"You're gonna be on your own for dinner. Sesshoumaru insists that I have dinner with him tonight, alone." She sighed, looked at her watch, adopted a look of panic, shrieked something about being late, ran about gathering her things, and was out the door before he could bother her again.

* * *

Kurama looked about the spacious office for the third time in a week. Fortunately, everyone had been gathered quickly and he wouldn't have to wait again while Yusuke decided to play hooky.

Koenma could be seen at his desk with a serious face that would look misplaced on any other toddler as he poured over the documents just placed on his desk by an ogre that worked out front.

As he appeared to have finished reading, Yusuke, being the diplomat he was raised an eyebrow and said, "So? I hope it's not just some youkai pounding on the barrier again."

Koenma looked at the boy with a grave expression that did much more than any yelling could ever do. "I only wish that were so, Yusuke. We in Reikai believe that youkai was a mere distraction to allow a murderer though the barrier." The push of a button and the huge television across from his turned on, the first image on it's screen being an enlarged picture of a girl's face with wide, terrified eyes. Another push of a button and it changed to two full-body vertical views of the girl, one (living) in casual clothes, the other of her covered from chest to knees in a white cloth, exposing one wound—a bite on her side. "The latest victim, Mai Yuyami, a direct descendent of a line of powerful monks and mikos beginning sometime in the middle of Sengoku Jidai," he read from a sheet. "Although for generations before this girl, no one in her family was more than a blip on the radar, she showed steadily. Died one week after her fourteenth birthday—"

"Stop it!" yelled Kuwabara. "Just stop it!" He grabbed the remote from Koenma and turned off the television.

"Hn. Squeamish?"

Kuwabara, after working with the cruel youkai for so many years, knew better than to take the bate. He merely glared at him.

"Enough, Hiei," said Kurama sternly. He turned to Koenma. "What's so special about this girl? You never showed us the pictures. What's different now?"

"This girl was the first one whose eyes were open, which means…"

"Which means that she sensed the thing coming," said Kurama in wonder.

Koenma nodded solemnly. "That's correct. It also unfortunately suggests that it's going after stronger prey." He paused to let it sink in. "This is also the third miko killing in a month, and there have been none relating to the youkai portion of the murders. Therefore, we believe that whatever it is has decided to go directly for the mikos. But we have no idea whether it's killing at random, or hunting someone down—which may be easy to assume since the targets have been narrowed down to one city—or doing it all for another purpose. Any way it goes, it all ends in the same way." The room was silent. "The destruction of the barrier."

Kurama's eyes shot open and Hiei's eyebrows furrowed.

"What!" shouted the two loudest of the group.

"Yes, I was rather skeptical at first as well. There's a man—well, his soul—whose been working down in Archives for the past five hundred years, and as it's his theory we're working off of, I asked him to come up here today."

"Man," said Yususke. "What'd this guy do to deserve working there? Steal your pacifier?"

"On the contrary, young man," said a suave voice from behind the opening doors, "I achieve Enlightenment and decided that staying here would be much more interesting than that boring Nirvana." This came from a man with black hair and a gold earring with purple robes and a staff. "Good afternoon, everyone. My name's Miroku. Now, before I make Koenma over there wanna try to reincarnate me or something, why don't we get down to business?" He cleared his throat. "Once upon a time in Sengoku Jidai, there lived many peoples—monks, miko, taijiya—whose purpose was to kill the youkai threatening to kill humans. During this time, a powerful youkai emerged, seeking the Shikon no Tama—I'm assuming you all know what that is?" They all nodded—it was a common legend from history class. Miroku continued, "Anyways, in the end, he was defeated and after that many youkai were weakened, went into hiding…For whatever reason, they weren't bothering humans all that much. During this time of peace, training against youkai became more lax. Then, for some mysterious reason, all of the youkai began to slowly disappear until it was very rare to ever see one. Because of this, miko training became more geared toward healing, taijiya toward normal bodyguards, and monks did simple blessings. Although shrines and such remained, we no longer were completely necessary. And yet, we never lost our powers that made us what we are, it's simply that they were forgotten. Of course, by this time I had passed on and realized that a barrier, based on pure energy, separating the youkai and humans had been erected. So it's not that it's impossible for a modern-day miko or monk to purify a youkai or for a taijiya to hurl a huge boomerang made of bone at a youkai. I believe it's simply because our energy—our essence—is being put unconsciously toward maintaining the barrier, leaving you and your spirit energy, or youki, to do the dirty work. If our murderer knows this, or even if he doesn't, it is possible that if enough mikos are killed, the barrier could weaken considerably." Miroku finished with a smile before disappearing from the office with a bow.

"And there you have it," said Koenma.

"So what do you expect us to do?" asked Yusuke.

"Until we get any leads as to who or what this thing is, or what it wants, I expect all four of you to patrol all of the shrines around the city throughout the night—every night. I will be dispatching some of our people as well, but I doubt they'd be able to really do any damage. I'll have Boton give you any updates or specifics." That, they all knew, was their dismissal.

As they stepped through a portal, Kurama heard Hiei's "voice."

'_I don't trust that Miroku. There were too many holes in his information.'_

:Yes, I agree. He only gave us the barest skeleton of what he knows:

**We'll have to tread carefully around him. He could either help or seriously hinder us.**

**

* * *

**

The other two nodded before heading their separate ways.

Kagome looked across the two-person table in a secluded corner of the most elegant restaurant in town, Four Seasons, to her dinner partner, Sesshoumaru, whom she doubted had ever heard of fast food in his long life. Every time she met up with him, she had to rush home to grab a dress.

He hadn't spoken a word past a short greeting. But she wasn't worried, that's how it always was with him—she talked and he steered her toward the main objective of the meeting with as few words as possible.

A waiter returned to their table with her virgin colada and left quickly. She took a sip. Delicious. "Shippou's alive." He nodded as if he knew as much. Probably did. She went on. "Unfortunately, his boss or friend or whatever he is took a liking to me. He keeps popping up in places I frequent."

"Species?"

"Kitsune. Maybe hanyou."

"Ah."

"Anything I can do about it?"

"Kitsune are very curious. He will not let you go until he is no longer curious. Put up with him and he will soon leave."

Kagome smiled and took another sip. "Sesshoumaru…how many youkai are actually alive? I mean, at times, like when I was in high school, I felt great amounts of youki at one time, then nothing the next day, and now I'm beginning to see more when before I thought all youkai had died out."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Your wish on the jewel was for humans and youkai to exist peacefully. You said nothing about coexisting. Instead, a barrier began to take root, one that separates Ningenkai, the human world, and Makai, the youkai world. However, this barrier, in order to hold back the strongest youkai, lets through some weaker species. Of course, some stronger youkai are able to find ways to sneak through, or have special access across the barrier." She immediately knew that he was one of the special access youkai but had no idea why. "To answer your question, there are millions of youkai left, but very few exist in Ningenkai."

Kagome nodded, digesting the information. Silence passed between the two again. A waiter came to take their orders and left.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm worried," she said quietly. "Do you think that a youkai could have survived all this time, with a deep grudge against Inuyasha and me? What if all these innocent girls are dying simply because I survived?"

"It is possible."

"I want to go out and destroy it. I can't let this happen."

"Without help, you will die."

"Then what do you expect me to do?"

"You will do nothing," he said, voice filled with authority, "until this Sesshoumaru says you may act. In the meantime, my employees are keeping watch on the shrines for reconnaissance and can act if necessary. You will be contacted if you are needed."

Kagome wanted to argue, but she could tell by his eyes that this was the best she could get. "Yes, Sesshoumaru."

* * *

AN: I hope everyone had a great New Year. Good luck to all!

Please keep in mind that all my classes this year are upper- or college-level. On the bright side, I finished my correspondence course and now that that's not taking up all of my free time, I will hopefully be able to work a little on chapters here and there. The next time I know I'll be able to update is in March, during my spring break.

For reviewers, if you are signed in, I will be able to reply to your review with the new review reply feature if you have any questions or seem confused about anything. If you're not a member, and your question can't wait till I post my next chapter, please either email me or leave your email in your review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Kiki Smythe: No, I didn't skip a chapter. It's just the next day.


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